Kimo Stowell - Real Estate Merchandiser

Don't let the To Do list do You in. Most sellers would opt to wait for a buyer with an offer before initiating an inspection. However, as is sometimes the case, an unknown issue can arise as the result of the inspection that might encourage the would be buyers to contractually back out; even when the terms are 'as is'.

There are a number of unseen issues that might scare off potential buyers that an inspection might reveal: roofing, electrical, mold, plumbing, and foundation issues are some of the biggest unseen nightmares that can tank a deal. The old adage ' an once of prevention is worth a pound of cure' certainly applies here.

Spend the money to get an inspection before putting the house on the market, especially if it's an older home. You don't want to lose a deal because of something you could have fixed in advance. I needn't remind anyone that losing a buyer in this market can be extremely costly on many levels.

With the unknown issues set aside, as the home owner, one is usually acutely aware of the dead electrical outlets in the bedroom or the poorly patched water damaged hole in the family room ceiling or the missing paving stones in the back lanai. What you might not be aware of is how quickly a buyer can go from positive to perturbed when faced with a list of work required of them should they decide to buy. Buyers have lots to choose from these days and have little tolerance for lengthy To Do lists.

Address what you know needs work first, hire those who can do the job if you can't, and pay attention to the details. It's where the sale is.

JDS Consulting- Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog: Questions for Kimo: Decor Design & More- www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com tel.+1.808.344.1264 Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2009

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Its time to put your mind back in the gutter! Protect your investment and clean your gutters and downspouts.

If you haven't noticed winter weather is here in Hawaii. Torrential rains in the winter months are a blessing and a danger if you are not prepared for the sometimes unexpected chaos that can arise from deluge and inundation alike.

In a perfect world, gutters safely channel rain water away from your roof and home and drain into the ground or sewer. In the process foundations, siding, window casements, and doors are protected from the corrosive force of water damage. Unfortunately, we don't always remember to clean our gutters until a major rain storm wrecks havoc and water severely dampens your chances of selling your property for sale.

Leaves, twigs, dirt, and other debris accumulate in gutters and over time can clog and render useless your gutters and downspouts. Pooling water and overflow can pull gutters from their mountings and rot the wooden elements of your roof and siding causing thousands of dollars worth of damage that can worsen over time; putting a stop to offers by potential buyers.

If you have a single story home and are comfortable with heights and ladders you can save your self money by cleaning your gutters yourself but be prepared for a very messy and mucky experience.

If you are chronologically challenged, afraid of heights, or have a multistoried home hire someone reputable to do the job but be prepared to have this done a least twice a year at a few hundred dollars a pop.

If all this sounds daunting and costly you might consider using the preventative measure of gutter protectors or guards. These products come in a variety of styles and prices (averaging around $1.50 a linear foot) and are relatively easy to install and pay for themselves in a few years from savings in maintenance.

JDS Consulting- Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog: Questions for Kimo: Decor Design & More- www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com tel.+1.808.344.1264 Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2008

Floating like lemon drops high above the chimney tops is where you'll find me-

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

It's starting to look a lot like winter here in The Islands. Diamond Head is getting greener, the trade winds are cooler and rainy days are more frequent. For those of us who live at higher elevations we might have already fired-up the old fireplace to warm the chilly nights and to gather around to talk story; 60 degrees is cold in the islands, seriously.

As incredulous as it might sound there are more fire places here in hawaii than one might expect; unfortunately, not everyone remembers to clean and maintain them. It is recommended that chimneys be inspected yearly by a licensed inspector or chimney sweep. Even if you don't use your fireplace, a functioning one is a major plus for many potential buyers and spending a little extra money to make sure your fireplace passes inspection can add value and major charm to your property for sale.

With frequent use, chimneys accumulate soot and require regular cleaning and maintenance. If chimneys are not properly maintained and kept clean there is a high risk of health and safety issues; resulting in not only fire hazards but carbon monoxide poisoning, as well. Wood stoves or gas fireplaces are not the only soot accumulating appliances that require regular inspection don't forget cook stoves, barbecues, and electric ranges. The ventilation hoods should be cleaned regularly and inspected for excessive grease build up which is a fire hazard and accelerant.

Warm & Happy Holidays to all!

JDS Consulting- Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog: Questions for Kimo: Decor Design & More- www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com tel.+1.808.344.1264 Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2008

Questions for Kimo: how do you stop your toilet from running away with your money?

It's time for a little potty talk! If your a Realtor and you have a listing where the toilet is running, help your clients save money and precious water by following these simple tips.

Just about everyone at some point in their lives will have a run-in with a running toilet. For the most part no one wants to call a plumber and spend the money to fix such a simple issue but ignoring the problem can waste hundreds of gallons of water and flush hundreds of dollars down the drain over time.

Here are two easy suggestions that can help. Chances are your running toilet is easily fixable by just about anyone, saving the cost of a plumber and wasteful water bills. So before you call the plumber or worse ignore the problem lift up the tank cover and take a look.

1) Most running toilets are result of too much water in the holding tank. The first step is to see if water is overflowing into the vertical tube. If it is, you'll want to lower the water level in the tank by adjusting the float arm(its the stick with the rubber ball like object that floats in the tank). This is easily done by bending the arm on the float downward. If you have a late model commode slide the clips down the arm by squeezing them and adjust the float towards the end of the arm. This should fix the problem.

2) If water is NOT overflowing into the vertical tube their might be a crack in the flapper located at the bottom of the tank. The flapper looks like a black circular trap door and is the mechanism that releases the water from the tank into the toilet bowl when you flush. To check if there is a leak add food coloring to the tank and wait 25 minutes. If the water in the toilet bowl changes color you will need to replace the flapper. Turn off the water supply to the toilet and reach into the tank and pull the flapper out. Bring the old flapper to your local hardware store and ask them for a replacement. The new flapper should easily snap into place. Turn on the water to the toilet and voi-la your done. No more running toilet.

JDS Consulting- Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog: Questions for Kimo: Decor Design & More- www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com tel.+1.808.344.1264 Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2008

Pillow talk: The artful placement of pillows...

don't go overboard or over the Head board when piling pillows on the bed

Arranging pillows on a sofa or bed is a fairly mundane activity that in itself does not necessarily require instruction. However, if your home is on the market and your looking to give your property it's best face possible, here are some simple pointers to give your pillowed furniture practical pizazz.

Less is more, more or less: regardless of how passionate you are for pillows, the old adage that less is more applies when it comes to staging the bedroom. The best approach to pillow placement is not to cover more than a quarter of the bed with pillows and to layer them no more than four deep and five across. Ideally, you should keep the pillow count under ten for King and Queen beds and less than six pillows on full and twin sized beds including sleeping pillows. Now day beds and pune'e (Hawaiian day beds) naturally require more pillows in order to supply adequate back support when seated so you have a little more leeway here in the pillow count but remember less is more.

"...What immortal hand or eye, could frame thy fearful symmetry?" -William Blake: Of course, Blake was talking about a tiger when he wrote this poem but it applies to pillow placement too. Be fearful of over doing symmetrical patterning when it comes to the context of the room. Too much of 'two of everthing' can make a room predictable and boring. Most designers will tell you to use an odd number of pillows on beds and sofas and for the most part I agree but if you are using asymmetrical patterning else where in the room then it's OK and sometimes advisable to pair pillows up.

Size matters and variety is good thing: avoid using just small pillows on a big bed and vice versa. Proportionality is important and using different sizes, shapes, colors and textures helps to make the bed a focal point in the room.

Seven & Three

When it comes to sofas you want to be able to sit comfortably without having to move pillows around to do so. Keeping pillows closer to the arm rests makes this a little easier. On a standard size sofa try to keep the pillow count under 7 and with love seats 3 or less.

Bold & Bright

When you want to give a little more contemporary feel to transitional furniture use bright colors and bold patterns. Floral patterns are usually a traditional standard but there are many modern floral prints available today that can give a modern flare to your transitional decor.

Balance & Weight

A little color goes a long way. Adding a touch of color can give balance to a sofa. In the example below the detail of the face pillow pulls the eye to the right while the blue draws the eye to the opposite end giving equal visual weight to both sides of the sofa.

Variations on a Theme

Pillow themes can really pile on the charm factor when staging but beware of being too kitsch. Below is a ocean theme using bright red contrast, textured fabrics intimating coral, and a blue crab to define the theme. Of course this looks great in a beach house not so great in a log cabin in the mountains.

Mirth & Whimsy

Everyone can use a little laugh these days. Using whimsy to entertain potential buyers can lighten the mood of a space and create a sense of fun and interest. Unusual pillow shapes like the penguins and felt "stones" can instantly transport your imagination to another place, which is not really the purpose of staging so temper your sense of humor and keep the avant garde for your new home.

The penguins and felt stones are a couple examples of my favorite pillows. Although, I wouldn't necessarily stage with them I would definitely use them as an interior decorator. I invite you to post your favorite pillows and share how they make you feel. So lets continue the pillow talk...

Pillow Talk: the artful placement of pillows vol I. beyond the fringe

JDS Consulting- Staging Hawaii nei! Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Visit our Blog: Questions for Kimo: Decor Design & More- www.RealEstateDesignOnLine.com tel.+1.808.344.1264 Kimo Stowell Copyright ©2008